Improvement in pence



itmid (States FRANK r. SOMMER, O-F DET-noir, MICHIGAN.

LettersPateat No.- 92,118, dated Jane 29, 186,9.

IMPROVEMENT IN FENCE.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part f thesame,

To whom it may conce/m:

Be it known that I, FRANK F. SOMMER, of Detroit, in the county of Wayne,and State of Michigan, have invented a newand useful Improvement inOombinationdfence; and I do declare that the `tbllowiug is a true andaccurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, and being apart of this specification. l

The nature of this invention relates to an improved construction offences, the posts of which are of iron, and its rails and pickets .ofwood, the primary feature being the employment of a series of woodenpickets,

land between said pickets a series of intermediate pickets of lesserheight, secured to the longer pickets by ornamental cast-iron braces, asare also the longer pickets to the rails, and While presenting a light,open, and elegant appearance, the spaces between the pickets in thelower part of the fence are not suiiiciently great to permit dogs andother small animals to pass through between the pickets.

Secondly, in a peculiarly-constructed foundationfor supporting thepanels ofthe fence, by means of which said panels may be brought to ahorizontal plane without digging up or disturbing the foundation.

rlhirdly, in a `peculiar manner of fastening the gate and corner-poststo their foundations, and in the manner of securing the caps to the bodyofthe posts.

Also, in the general arrangement of its parts, in which it 'will benoticed that no metal is employed solely for ornament, but that everypart serves to strengthen thel whole.

In the drawings- Figure 1 is an elevation of asection of my improvedfence and gate.

Figure 2 is a cross-section of one of the posts.

Figure 3 is a top view of the foundation-plate of the posts.

Figure 4 is a front elevation of the same.

Figure 5 shows the' construction and method of securingl the adjustablebrace to the upper rail.

Figure 6 is a plan`view ofthe adjustable brace-plate of the upper rail.

Figure is a vertical section of the adjustable metallic foundation-post.

Figure S is a front view of the same.

Figure 9 is a view of the ibundation-connectinglat-e. l f

p Figure 13 is a view of the rear side ofthe plate connecting the baseof the post to the foundation.

Figure 14, sheet 2, is a view of the bottom of the post-cap, showing theelongated nut, and also a view of the top of the post, showing the slot.Y

Figure 15, sheet 2, is a cross-section of the post, showing the underside of its top. l

Like letters indicate like parts iu each figure.

A, in the drawings, represents the upper, and B, the lower rails of asection of my improved fence.

proper screws passing .through them into the lower railB, to secure thelower ends of all the pickets to said rail, into which they arepartially recessed.

F are open intaglio plates of cast-metal, of such` lengths that theirends will extend from centre to centre of the full-length pickets, eachplate abutting against the end ofthe adjoining one. These platesare'cast to conform on their rear sides to the shape of the pickets,their lower central parts bcingfsecured to the short pickets by one ormore wood-screws a, arosette, b, covering the ends of the plates, andsecures them to the pickets C, by a wood-screw, c, passing through itinto the picket, a half notch being cast 'into the ends of the platesfor that purpose.

G are intaglio plates, constructed upon the same general plan as theplates F, with the exception that each has a vertical central rib, d, tothe lower part of which the upperend of the picket C is secured, by a Yscrew, said picket being partially recessed into the upper rail of thefence.

The plates are secured to the rail, by a screw, e, passing through theupper part of the rib l into the rail, dispensing with the usualcoupling-plates or rosettes at the ends of said plates. In this -manner,panels of fence, of any desired length, may be con 'structed To sustainand support the fence at proper distancer apart, I place in the ground,and attach to the lowerv rails B, the metallic foundation-posts H, whoseconstruction and arrangement, shown in figs. 7 8, and`9, I will nowproceed to describe.

H is a fouudation-post of cast-iron, provided with an enlarged base, 'asshown, for increasingaits stability. The upper front part of this postis formed with serrations f and a Vertical slot, g, iig. 9.. s

I, g. 7, is a clamp-plate, with its upper partr so formed as to embracethe rear side of the rail'B, to and through which it is bolted, whileits inner lower part is serrated, as shown at h, iig. 9, to engage withthe seri-ations f on the post, while a bolt, t", passing through it andthe slot g, securely binds them together.

To adj ust the fence vertically, by loosening thenut ou the bolt i, theclamp-plate may be moved up or down in the slot in the post, until thefence is level. when it may be there secured by screwing up the nut';

As all foundations are liable to settle in the ground by the action ofthe elements, and to upheaval by frost, this feature in my inventionisdeemed impor tant, not only in facilitating thc. erection of the fence,but to permit of its subsequent adjustment, when, from either of thecauses named, it may become necessary.

To brace the fence in`its .upright position, I attach to the upper raila brace, J, fig. 5. The lower end of this brace, (which should be oi'wrought-imm) terminatos in a tiat cast-metal plate, placed in the groundbelow the.liue of post, and immediately in thc rear oi' the post H.

K is a cast-metal clamp-plate, formed to embrace the upper and rearsides of thc rail A,- and is secured thereto by a bolt, j, passingthrough both.

It is also provided with a projection, k, having serrations l and slotlm, through which passes a bolt, n, securing the serrated head of thebrace J thereto.

By this means, the fence is easily and readily adjusted to a verticalposition.

Lare the gate and corner-posts, the construction of which is clearlyshown in 1ig.2. two halves, bolted'together, and provided with notchesin the sides to receive the ends of the upper and lower rails of thefence. i

M is a pedestal of cast-iron, in the .form of a cap, which lits overa'block of stone set in the ground, and is secured thereto by boltsleaded in sockets in its top, and forms the foundation ot' the post.rlhe cap also prevents abrasions ofthe stone bythe -wheels of passingcarriages, where double gates are used.

It is provided on its front and rear sides with a semiwedge-shapedprojection, p, as is also the bottom ofthe post,

'lhe upper surface of the pedestal has formed in it a central transversesemicircular groove, q

A similar groove is also formed in the bottom of the post.

N is a clamp-plate, having a V-shaped recess, r, on its under side, toembrace the senii-wedge-shaped projections on the edge of the pedestaland the bottom of the post.

A bolt, s, passing through the front clamp, through the semicirculargroove and the back clamp, and provided with a nut, securely binds thepost to the pedestal, by screwing up the nut.

The ornamental cap ot the post is secured to it in the following manner:The bolt t, provided with a round or octagonal head, is passedthrougl1-tl1e cap; an oblong nut, S, is then partially screwed on itsthreaded end, the cap is then placed in position, and the nut let downthrough a transverse slot, T, in the top of the post, turned partiallyaround and lifted up, which will bring the nut between the ribs u. Thecap The post is in is then lifted up to retain the nut in position whilethe bolt is being screwed into it, until the whole is firmly boundtogether.

I am aware that fences, composed of wood and metal, and that woodenfences, with metallic plates, for strengthening the slender parts,arcnotucw; and while I disclaim the invention of' fences composed of shortpickets placed intermediately between longer pickets, all of the picketsbeing secured to a third or iuterme diate longitudinal rail,

lVhat I do claim as my invention, and desireto Secure by Letters Patent,is-

1. The construction of a fence, composed of piekets O and D, their lowerends being secured to the rail B, the upper ends ofthe pickets C securedto the rail A by' the `plates G, as described, and the upper ends of'the pickets l) secured to the pickets G by the plates F, therebyavoiding the employment of an intermediate longitudinal rail.

2. The foundation-post H, provided with serratons f and slot g, theclamp-plate I, provided with serrations h, and secured to the post bythe bolt t', the

whole attached to and forming an adjustable support n for the lower railof the fence. i

3. The brace J, provided with serrated head o, engaging with theserrations Z in the projection 7a of' the clamp-plate K, and securedthereto by the bolt va passing through the slot m in said projection,said 'clampplate being secured to the upper rail ot' the felice, by thebolt j, the whole forming an adjustable brace for securing the upperpart of the fence in its propel' position.

4. rllhe pedestal M, provided with groove q and projections p, the clampN and its recess yr, and the bolt s, in connection with a similar grooveand projections in the bottom of thc sectional post L, for securing saidpost to its foundation. y

5. `ln sectional posts, securing the cap to the same, by means of abolt, t, provided with an elongated nut, S, entering the body ofthe postthrough a transverse slot, T, and engaging with the longitudinal ribs u,substantially as described. y 4

FRANK F. SOMMER.

Witnesses H. F. EBnRTs, Jas. I. DAY.

